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Unpacking the toolkit of human consciousnessNo matter how different they seem—the learned and contemplative neuroscientist versus the toy orangutan with a penchant for off-color jokes—almost any adult who experiences them knows that Princeton University professor Michael Graziano is the voice behind his simian puppet Kevin. Yet to most listeners, Kevin—who acts as the comic relief when Graziano publicly presents his work—nonetheless has a distinct personality and consciousness—he seems aware of and comments on his surroundings in his own unique way.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-01-toolkit-human-consciousness.html
NeuroscienceFri, 10 Jan 2014 08:40:01 EDTnews308560633Motor excitability predicts working memoryHumans with a high motor excitability have a better working memory than humans with a low excitability. This was shown in a study conducted by scientists from the Transfacultary Research Platform at the University of Basel. By measuring the motor excitability, conclusions can be drawn as to the general cortical excitability – as well as to cognitive performance.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-12-motor-memory.html
NeuroscienceMon, 23 Dec 2013 07:33:41 EDTnews307006401Rats and men: Study finds parallels in neural processing of 'adaptive control'People and rats may think alike when they've made a mistake and are trying to adjust their thinking.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-10-rats-men-parallels-neural.html
NeuroscienceSun, 20 Oct 2013 13:00:13 EDTnews301492093Brain pathways tie together mental mapsTo find its way in the world, your brain has to decipher a set of directions muddled by different points of view. Individual neurons in the brain are constantly processing information about our surroundings, says Yuri Saalmann, psychology professor at UW-Madison, but they often use different "languages," known as spatial reference frames.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-09-brain-pathways-mental.html
NeuroscienceTue, 17 Sep 2013 08:18:46 EDTnews298624710How many types of neurons do we need to define?(Medical Xpress)—A recent perspective paper published in Science has raised some important, and timely, questions regarding neural diversity. The authors, from Columbia, MIT, and New York University, would simply like to know how many kinds of neurons exist in the brain. For scientists who study glial cells, it may be enough to have a single named class of neuron, but the researchers here all study motorneurons of one kind or another. In particular, they are interested in treating neurodegenerative diseases, which often have clear motor deficits as their major pathology. To treat these diseases, researchers are attempting to differentiate embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into particular cell subtypes that could be used to restore normal function. As the authors observe, it would be handy if we could constrain the enormous range of biochemical, morphological and electrophysiological peculiarities that neurons display, into well-defined categories that could be referred to by name.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-08-neurons.html
NeuroscienceTue, 20 Aug 2013 09:00:01 EDTnews296205095Brain activation when processing Chinese hand-radicalsA number of studies in which patients with lesions to frontal pre-motor areas are included have identified deficits in action comprehension. In addition, imaging studies have revealed the activation of brain areas associated with perception or action during tasks involving reading of words with related semantic meaning. For example, the mere passive reading of action verbs such as kick, pick and lick has been found to activate areas of the sensory-motor cortex associated with the legs, hands and face, respectively.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-08-brain-chinese-hand-radicals.html
NeuroscienceWed, 07 Aug 2013 10:38:47 EDTnews295090715Practice makes the brain's motor cortex more efficient, research saysNot only does practice make perfect, it also makes for more efficient generation of neuronal activity in the primary motor cortex, the area of the brain that plans and executes movement, according to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Their findings, published online today in Nature Neuroscience, showed that practice leads to decreased metabolic activity for internally generated movements, but not for visually guided motor tasks, and suggest the motor cortex is "plastic" and a potential site for the storage of motor skills.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-08-brain-motor-cortex-efficient.html
NeuroscienceSun, 04 Aug 2013 13:00:20 EDTnews294760774Early brain stimulation may help stroke survivors recover language functionNon-invasive brain stimulation may help stroke survivors recover speech and language function, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-early-brain-survivors-recover-language.html
NeuroscienceThu, 27 Jun 2013 16:40:09 EDTnews291569993Available now in 3D: Brain images of previously unattainable qualityA new three-dimensional model of the brain now provides in-depth insights into the human control centre. It allows us to see and understand the structure of the brain on a microscopic level in all three spatial dimensions for the first time. Jülich researchers headed by neuroscientist Prof. Dr. Katrin Amunts and their colleagues from Montreal (Canada) have worked on the freely accessible model for five years and published their findings in Science today.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-3d-brain-images-previously-unattainable.html
NeuroscienceThu, 20 Jun 2013 14:06:01 EDTnews290955944Staging system in ALS shows potential tracks of disease progression, study findsThe motor neuron disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, progresses in a stepwise, sequential pattern which can be classified into four distinct stages, report pathologists with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in the Annals of Neurology.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-staging-als-potential-tracks-disease.html
NeuroscienceWed, 19 Jun 2013 10:58:16 EDTnews290858240Rehabilitation based on brain-computer interfaces could be superior to robot-assisted programs, research findsChanges in the pattern of connections in the resting brain predict the extent to which stroke patients will recover following rehabilitation, according to new research led by Cuntai Guan of the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research, Singapore and Karen Chua of the Tan Tock Sen Hospital, Singapore, in collaboration with Bálint Várkuti of the University of Tübingen, Germany.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-based-brain-computer-interfaces-superior-robot-assisted.html
NeuroscienceWed, 05 Jun 2013 07:23:46 EDTnews289635816Brain ultrasound improves moodNon-invasive brain stimulation techniques aimed at mental and neurological conditions include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for depression, and transcranial direct current (electrical) stimulation (tDCS), shown to improve memory. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has also shown promise.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-brain-ultrasound-mood.html
NeuroscienceThu, 16 May 2013 10:32:06 EDTnews287919117AANS: Brain machine interface can control prosthetic arm(HealthDay)—A brain-machine interface can be used to control an anthropomorphic prosthetic arm with 10 degrees-of-freedom, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, held from April 27 to May 1 in New Orleans.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-aans-brain-machine-interface-prosthetic.html
NeuroscienceThu, 02 May 2013 06:20:01 EDTnews286690401Short-term benefits seen with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for focal hand dystoniaRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is being increasingly explored as a therapeutic tool for movement disorders associated with deficient inhibition throughout the central nervous system. This includes treatment of focal hand dystonia (FHD), characterized by involuntary movement of the fingers either curling into the palm or extending outward. A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience reports short-term changes in behavioral, physiologic, and clinical measures that support further research into the therapeutic potential of rTMS.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-short-term-benefits-repetitive-transcranial-magnetic.html
NeuroscienceTue, 09 Apr 2013 13:28:25 EDTnews284732815Rats' brains are more like ours than scientists previously thought(Medical Xpress)—Neuroscientists face a multitude of challenges in their efforts to better understand the human brain. If not for model organisms such as the rat, they might never know what really goes on inside our heads.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-rats-brains-scientists-previously-thought.html
NeuroscienceWed, 27 Mar 2013 09:31:55 EDTnews283595506Stroke damage in mice overcome by training that 'rewires' brain centersJohns Hopkins researchers have found that mice can recover from physically debilitating strokes that damage the primary motor cortex, the region of the brain that controls most movement in the body, if the rodents are quickly subjected to physical conditioning that rapidly "rewires" a different part of the brain to take over lost function.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-mice-rewires-brain-centers.html
NeuroscienceTue, 05 Feb 2013 09:50:26 EDTnews279280216Study sheds light on how our brains move limbs(Medical Xpress)—A Queen's University study is giving new insight into how the neurons in our brains control our limbs. The research might one day help with the design of more functional artificial limbs.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-brains-limbs.html
NeuroscienceWed, 16 Jan 2013 08:34:28 EDTnews277547643Epigenetic processes orchestrate neuronal migration(Medical Xpress)—Neurobiologists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) are the first to show that directional migration of neurons during brain development is controlled through epigenetic processes. In an elaborate study bridging epigenetics and neurobiology, the scientists found that the migratory pattern is orchestrated through epigenetic regulation of genes within neurons and spatial signals in the environment. Their study has been published in Science.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-epigenetic-orchestrate-neuronal-migration.html
NeuroscienceFri, 11 Jan 2013 06:44:23 EDTnews277109054Mind-controlled hand offers hope for the paralysedPentagon-backed scientists on Monday announced they had created a robot hand that was the most advanced brain-controlled prosthetic limb ever made.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-mind-controlled-paralysed.html
NeuroscienceMon, 17 Dec 2012 05:13:41 EDTnews274943613Neuroplasticity reduced in teens born prematurely(HealthDay)—Adolescents who were born prematurely have reduced neuroplasticity, which may explain their motor, learning, and memory difficulties, according to a study published in the Nov. 14 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-neuroplasticity-teens-born-prematurely.html
NeuroscienceMon, 10 Dec 2012 04:30:01 EDTnews274333507Mu-rhythm in the brain: The neural mechanism of speech as an audio-vocal perception-action systemThe cortical mechanisms governing speech are not well understood because it is extremely challenging to measure the activity of the brain in action, that is, during speech production. Researchers in Japan have found modulation of mu-rhythms in the cortex related to speech production.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-mu-rhythm-brain-neural-mechanism-speech.html
NeuroscienceWed, 05 Dec 2012 06:51:20 EDTnews273912667Hand use improved after spinal cord injury with noninvasive stimulationBy using noninvasive stimulation, researchers were able to temporarily improve the ability of people with spinal cord injuries to use their hands. The findings, reported on November 29th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, hold promise in treating thousands of people in the United States alone who are partially paralyzed due to spinal cord injury.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-spinal-cord-injury-noninvasive.html
NeuroscienceThu, 29 Nov 2012 12:59:22 EDTnews273416324Preemies' brains reap long-term benefits from Kangaroo Mother CareKangaroo Mother Care—a technique in which a breastfed premature infant remains in skin-to-skin contact with the parent's chest rather than being placed in an incubator—has lasting positive impact on brain development, revealed Université Laval researchers in the October issue of Acta Paediatrica. Very premature infants who benefited from this technique had better brain functioning in adolescence—comparable to that of adolescents born at term—than did premature infants placed in incubators.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-preemies-brains-reap-long-term-benefits.html
PediatricsWed, 19 Sep 2012 11:11:15 EDTnews267271836New statistical method provides way to analyze synchronized neural activity in animalsResearchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have developed a new method of statistical analysis that can estimate the extent to which the activity of multiple neurons is group-wise synchronized.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-statistical-method-synchronized-neural-animals.html
NeuroscienceFri, 03 Aug 2012 11:41:37 EDTnews263212884Reorganizing brain could lead to new stroke, tinnitus treatmentsUT Dallas researchers recently demonstrated how nerve stimulation paired with specific experiences, such as movements or sounds, can reorganize the brain. This technology could lead to new treatments for stroke, tinnitus, autism and other disorders.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-brain-tinnitus-treatments.html
NeuroscienceThu, 19 Jul 2012 11:02:31 EDTnews261914544Electrical brain stimulation can alleviate swallowing disorders after strokeAfter stroke, patients often suffer from dysphagia, a swallowing disorder that results in greater healthcare costs and higher rates of complications such as dehydration, malnutrition, and pneumonia. In a new study published in the July issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, researchers have found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which applies weak electrical currents to the affected area of the brain, can enhance the outcome of swallowing therapy for post-stroke dysphagia.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-electrical-brain-alleviate-swallowing-disorders.html
NeuroscienceMon, 02 Jul 2012 11:05:42 EDTnews260445914A different drummer: Neural rhythms drive physical movementUnlike their visual cousins, the neurons that control movement are not a predictable bunch. Scientists working to decode how such neurons convey information to muscles have been stymied when trying to establish a one-to-one relationship between a neuron's behavior and external factors such as muscle activity or movement velocity.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-drummer-neural-rhythms-physical-movement.html
NeuroscienceSun, 03 Jun 2012 13:00:04 EDTnews257923024Watching neurons learnWhat happens at the level of individual neurons while we learn? This question intrigued the neuroscientist Daniel Huber, who recently arrived at the Department of Basic Neuroscience at the University of Geneva. During his stay in the United States, he and his team tried to unravel the network mechanisms underlying learning and memory at the level of the cerebral cortex.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-neurons.html
NeuroscienceThu, 26 Apr 2012 14:29:48 EDTnews254577648Migraine patients find pain relief in electrical brain stimulationChronic migraine sufferers saw significant pain relief after four weeks of electrical brain stimulation in the part of the brain responsible for voluntary movement, the motor cortex, according to a new study.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-migraine-patients-pain-relief-electrical.html
Medical researchFri, 20 Apr 2012 09:50:22 EDTnews254134191Holding a mirror to brain changes in autismImpaired social function is a cardinal symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). One of the brain circuits that enable us to relate to other people is the "mirror neuron" system. This brain circuit is activated when we watch other people, and allows our brains to represent the actions of others, influencing our ability to learn new tasks and to understand the intentions and experiences of other people.http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-mirror-brain-autism.html
Autism spectrum disordersFri, 02 Mar 2012 12:06:37 EDTnews249912274